‘The Audi rally DNA is strong in these two’. The new Audi RS Q3 and RS Q3 Sportback delivered a masterclass in grip and handling on the ice fields of Arvidsjaur in Sweden recently, when the world’s press got their first taste of the newest models from Audi Sport.

In conditions not encountered Down Under, the new RennSport offerings were right at home, their combination of quattro all-wheel drive and the addition of spiked tyres for the extreme conditions, lighting up the faces of journalists around the world, who revelled in the chance to drive the vehicles in this particularly challenging but immensely rewarding environment.

The dynamic duo are set to arrive in Australia around August, and performance aficionados are counting down to the local release.

While the RS Q3 Sportback is a completely new model, the RS Q3 is known to Australian buyers from the first edition and the more recent performance variant, so expectation is high for this potent new incarnation.

Also well known to Australian performance enthusiasts is the award-winning five-cylinder, 2.5 TFSI powerplant which also sees duty in the Audi RS 3 Sedan and Sportback models, as well as the Audi TT RS. Producing 294kW and a massive 480Nm of torque available from 1950rpm and 5850rpm, it rockets the RS Q3 models from standstill to 100km/h in just 4.5 seconds on the way to a governed top speed of 250km/h.

As well known as its power delivery is the distinctive sound of the engine under load – there combination of five cylinders and particular firing sequence producing a unique automotive howl that is music to the ears of all performance enthusiasts.

When they arrive later in the year, the RS Q3 and RS Q3 Sportback will form part of a new wave of Audi Sport models destined for our shores where the appetite for high-performance luxury vehicles has seen Australia consistently amongst the top five Audi Sport markets internationally.